Avalanche
by dreameroflife
Summary: Lying to her best friend. Dating the enemy. CeCe Jones is keeping secrets, and they're piling up by the second. But what happens when the abuse she has just escaped from comes back to haunt her? Will anyone be able to save CeCe? *Sticks and Stones Sequel*
1. Secret Smiles

Hello hello! Welcome :) I'm Kim, and this is my second Shake it Up story. It's a sequel to Sticks and Stones, so I would recommend reading that before this. This is a GeCe (Just discovered that's their couple name!) story, and does contain elements of abuse. If you don't feel comfortable reading that, I completely understand, and you won't offend me by clicking the back button. So, I hope you enjoy this story!

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><p>The first thing CeCe Jones was aware of was the whispers. Filling the hallways, they seemed to surround her, consume her. And she hated it.<p>

Frankie 'The Complication' had been arrested the day before. The charge was physical abuse. CeCe's mom had promised word wouldn't get out, but the redhead knew it was a lie. Words spread quickly. Once that first spark ignited, there was no stopping it.

CeCe walked down the hallways to her locker, ignoring the strange looks from her peers; jocks, geeks, and everyone in between. They all knew.

Although her makeup covered the damage caused by her ex-boyfriend, she knew they knew.

_My life is over_ was the first thought that sprung onto CeCe's mind, but she quickly shook it away. She had the support of her mother, and Gunther Hessennefer.

But the young teen felt horrible, and it wasn't because of the lack of sleep due to hours spent at the police station the day before. The most important person in her life, the one she told everything to, didn't know.

Rocky.

CeCe quickly made her way to her locker, and tried to grab her books quickly, hoping to put off the confrontation for as long as possible. But luck was never on her side.

"Oh, my gosh CeCe. What happened?" CeCe closed her locker with a sigh and looked over to find a distressed Rocky next to her, worry in her chocolate brown eyes. The redhead was dreading this moment.

"What do you mean, Rocky?" CeCe fidgeted nervously and played with a piece of her hair, a bad habit she could never shake.

Rocky looked surprised. "Comp was arrested! No one knows what for, but the rumors going around have been crazy. Everything from arson to murder. But I knew you'd know the truth. So, what happened?" Rocky spoke excitedly, never pausing for breath.

CeCe's mind ran. _No one knows what for_. Rocky's words replayed over and over, and CeCe wanted to shout for joy. All the looks were from curiosity, not knowledge. Her secret was safe, and she never felt happier.

"Umm, he robbed a convenience store outside of Chicago." Rocky relaxed.

"Okay, good. Well, robbery is not good, but good he didn't do something worse. I knew he was a delinquent, but I really never thought he was a murderer or something to that extreme anyway," Rocky rambled on, and CeCe grinned, happy to be with her best friend, her life with her still normal. For now. "But why did he do it?"

CeCe closed her eyes. "He did it because… because I broke up with him yesterday. He kind of flew off the handle, and… robbed a store."

Before she knew what was happening, CeCe was engulfed in a warm hug. "Oh, CeCe, I'm sorry. I know how much you liked him. But, you deserve someone better than a criminal, right?" CeCe looked at Rocky, and realized her best friend only wanted the very best for her. And in that moment, she knew she had to tell her. Just not then.

"Hey, we better get out of here," Rocky spoke suddenly, leading CeCe away by the arm.

"Why?" The redhead asked, staring at her friend.

"Well, you're really stressed out, and Gunther and Tinka are coming this way. I figured you wouldn't want to deal with them right now." CeCe shook her head, and the brunette shot her friend a quizzical look.

Before she could say something, the foreign twins had made their way to the pair of friends, as perky as usual.

"Hi, Gunther, Tinka." Rocky smiled at them, trying to be nice.

"Hello, Rocky. Don't you look… interesting this morning. I did not realize looking like you just walked out of a zoo was in right now." Tinka smirked.

Rocky glanced down at her zebra striped skinny jeans, and tried to suppress a rude remark. But she couldn't.

"Well at least I don't look like I ran away from the circus." Rocky looked over Tinka, who was wearing bright colors, a sequined top monogrammed with a T, and a tutu.

Tinka ignored Rocky's insult and turned to CeCe. "So, I hear your boyfriend was arrested by the officers of the police. What did he do?" Tinka may not care about most people, but she lived for gossip.

"He robbed a convenience store, and he's _not _my boyfriend. We broke up." CeCe glanced up at Gunther, whose expression remained unchanging. Quickly, she averted her gaze.

"Well, I always knew that complicated man was a criminal. I thought he attacked someone, but I guess I cannot always be right. Although I usually am. Isn't that right, Gunther?" Tinka asked with a toss of her blonde hair.

CeCe watched as fire flashed across Gunther's eyes, knowing he was remembering what had happened to her. He then recomposed himself.

"Oh, yes. You are always right, Tinka." He paused, mulling over a thought. He looked at CeCe, his eyes softening.

"Are you okay, CeCe?" Surprise crossed the young girl's face, but it quickly disappeared. She wondered why he was breaking character. "I'm fine, but why do you care? Don't you have some tightrope to walk?"

CeCe high fived Rocky, and Gunther and Tinka just stared.

"Well, as much as we would love to continue this… lovely conversation, Gunther and I must go." Tinka turned around, and walked away.

Gunther paused for a moment, then turned as well. But not before he flashed a quick grin at CeCe.

She smiled, then quickly said goodbye to Rocky, hoping her best friend didn't notice.

But she had already turned her attention back to her locker. CeCe relaxed, and went on her way to her next class.

Rocky wasn't always the most observant girl. But some things she didn't miss. And one of those things was the smile Gunther Hessennefer sent towards CeCe Jones. But that didn't surprise Rocky. What had surprised Rocky Blue was the fact that her best friend had smiled back.

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><p>I hope you all liked the first installment. And if there's any mistakes, grammatical or otherwise, I'm sorry. I did proofread, but I still miss things sometimes. Also, I love reviews, and constructive criticism. So thanks for reading! :)<p> 


	2. Secret Heartbreak

I am really, really sorry for the long wait for the update. I've been really busy with school, and I was in the school play, which also took up a lot of time. But now I'm on vacation, which means update time. I'll try to update sooner from now on. Enjoy :)

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><p>"Okay everyone, take five," said Gary Wilde, host of Shake it Up! Chicago. The dancers were in the middle of rehearsal for that week's performance.<p>

CeCe Jones turned to her left to smile at her best friend, Rocky Blue. They were both dancing great. At that rate, they'd have the spotlight dance in no time.

"We were amazing!" exclaimed the red head to the brunette, who was sipping her water bottle off stage. Ever since Frankie had been arrested, CeCe's demeanor had become brighter. She found herself dancing better, laughing more often, and even her grades were improving. Breaking up with the Complication was the best thing CeCe had ever done.

But the one thing that contributed to her change most of all was the blonde boy standing on the other side of the room, gesturing wildly to his sister. He made the world seem brighter to her, and he liked her, despite everything she'd been through.

"Earth to CeCe." CeCe jumped out of her daze, and saw Rocky waving her hand in front of her face. "What is wrong with you? Ever since Comp's been arrested, you've been acting weird. Should I be worried?"

CeCe wanted to laugh. Her best friend didn't notice when she was abused, but she noticed when she was falling in love. She wished it had been the other way around.

She then did laugh, disguising her hurt feelings. "I'm fine. I'm more than fine, actually. I'm great." One lie. "You always misread things." One truth. "Why wouldn't I be?" One question.

"I don't know, you just seem off. Kind of… spacey. You know?" CeCe knew exactly what she was talking about.

Are you even listening to me? _Daydreaming about Gunther. _

Why do you keep looking past me? _Stealing a peek at Gunther._

Why are you always too busy to hang out with me? _Sneaking off with Gunther._

CeCe knew what Rocky was talking about, but played dumb. Her specialty.

"You need to stop worrying, Rocky. I haven't been this good in a long time. In fact, I'm _happy _Frankie was arrested. He was just bringing me down. Now I can enjoy being a single, independent woman." CeCe grinned, and Rocky frowned.

"A single, independent woman? Who are you? Not that I'm not for it, of course, but you've been dreaming of a boyfriend since you knew what a boyfriend was. What changed?" The change that had occurred in her best friend had startled Rocky, and she didn't know whether it was good or bad.

CeCe looked past Rocky and saw Gunther was going backstage. The redhead knew it was her cue. "Look, Rocky. I am absolutely fine. And I like being single." But she hated lying to her best friend. "It's nice not always being afraid." CeCe didn't realize what she had said until the brunette in front of her gave her a questioning look mixed with concern.

"What? What do you mean? CeCe what's going on?" CeCe's eyes widened at what her words meant, and she tried to back track. "I just meant that it's nice not always being afraid that I would be dumped at any second." She smiled warily, but could tell Rocky wasn't believing her. At all. "Anyway, I have to go to the bathroom. See you when break is over." CeCe scurried off in the direction Gunther had left, leaving behind a very confused, and very suspicious Rocky.

The tiny redhead tried hard to not run to her favorite blonde, but as she neared her destination, she couldn't wait any longer. The fact that she had almost told her secret to Rocky made her want to break down in tears. She knew she had to tell her, but the thought terrified her. To reveal she was weak, abused. It was all too much. CeCe had been pushed off a high cliff weeks ago, and despite everything that may have happened, she was sure she would never make it back up to the top. Every time she progressed a few steps, things like deceit, secrets, and lies always pushed her back down.

"CeCe?" A concerned voice floated towards her, and the young teen looked up to see a blurred Gunther staring at her, worry in his ocean blue eyes.

She realized she was crying, and wiped away the tears. He had his arms around her in seconds. "What is wrong?" CeCe just buried her face into his shirt, knowing this was _exactly _what she needed. A warm hug, soothing words, a rush of affection. This cured her more than any medicine could.

CeCe just shook her head.

And Gunther just held her.

They remained like that for a few moments, the young boy rubbing her back softly. It calmed her down.

He hated to see her cry. _He wanted to stop her eyes from drowning._

He hated to see her scared. _He wanted to fight away her demons. _

He hated to see her hurt. _He wanted to hold her and never let go. _

After her sobs lessened, Gunther decided to speak. "Hey." He pulled up her chin, and forced her auburn eyes to look into his. "What happened?"

CeCe sniffled. "I almost told Rocky what happened to me," she whispered softly, but Gunther heard it, loud and clear. He pulled her closer, if it was even possible.

"You know you have to tell her." CeCe nodded.

"I know, but I _can't _Gunther. She'll hate me." Gunther shook his head.

"You know that is not true. She is your best friend. And since I _know _she cares about you, you must trust me when I tell you Rocky will not hate you. She will still care about you CeCe. And even if she doesn't, you will always have me." The sincerity was so evident in his voice, CeCe could not argue. Instead, she leaned up to kiss him, their lips moving with an intense passion that had them gasping for oxygen moments later.

Gunther leaned his head against CeCe's. "I will always be here."

CeCe Jones smiled, feeling completely safe, ready to face her future.

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><p>"Tinka, have you seen CeCe?" Rocky Blue asked the foreign teen, walking up to her. The blonde was reapplying her makeup, which the brunette thought was pointless. It was all going to sweat off once they continued to dance.<p>

"Why in the world would I know where _she_ is? Isn't it your job to keep her on a leash?" Tinka turned to look at her, hatred dripping off her voice.

Rocky rolled her eyes, but continued. "Where's Gunther?"

"What does the whereabouts of my brother have to do with your missing annoying friend?" Rocky sighed.

"Because, Tinka, I saw them smile at each other earlier today, so I thought… maybe…"

Tinka's eyes widened. "You believe my brother is conversing with her? I thought you were the one with the brain. But I have been wrong before, as today proved." She paused. "Gunther would not be caught alive with her, as you Americans say it. He even told me last night, more or less."

Rocky suppressed a laugh at Tinka's miswording. She didn't want to anger her, although she silently admitted it was fun.

"I guess I'll just have to look for her myself." Tinka turned away, not even caring. "Thanks anyway," Rocky added, not wanting to be completely rude. No matter how much CeCe influenced her, she would always be a goody-goody.

Rocky wandered around the Shake it Up! Chicago studio a little while longer when she came across voices coming from behind the stage.

Intrigued, the brunette inched closer, and stood in the shadows, listening. She recognized the voices instantly, hearing her best friend talk with a voice thick with grief.

She scooted closer, and saw Gunther Hessennefer pull CeCe close.

Rocky almost yelped with surprise, but bit her tongue.

After a few silent whispers Rocky couldn't make out, CeCe kissed Gunther.

In that moment, Rocky's world stopped.

CeCe kissed Gunther.

CeCe kissed Gunther.

CeCe kissed Gunther.

The image replayed over and over in Rocky's mind, and fought back tears. All that talk about being single was a lie.

CeCe had lied right to Rocky's face, again and again.

Her insults towards him were fake.

Her teasing words, lies.

Everything was false. Everything they had shared with each other. _Everything. _

_How could you keep this from me? _Rocky wondered. They never lied to each other.

Ever.

But it made sense. The change in personality, the zoning, all of it.

CeCe's heart was mending with Gunther by her side, never letting go.

Rocky's heart was shattering with her best friend gone, slipping from her grasp.

Rocky Blue ran off, not giving either teen a second glance.

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><p>Hope you enjoyed! I love reviews :)<p> 


	3. Secret Revealed

Here's the next installment, enjoy! And I'm sorry it's a little shorter. I'll try to make up for it by making the next chapter longer :)

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><p>Pulsing lights. Beads of sweat dripping off dancers. Feet moving intricately with loud, heavy music. The cast of Shake it Up! Chicago were in the middle of their final rehearsal of the day.<p>

CeCe Jones was dancing her heart out, leaving everything on the floor. But she noticed her best friend, Rocky Blue, wasn't. Her timing was off, barely noticeable. But CeCe noticed. She was knew when something was wrong with Rocky. Always.

After the dance finished, Gary Wilde congratulated everyone on a great day's work, sending them off. Rocky went to grab her things from her hook. CeCe followed.

"Is something wrong?" The redhead waited for her to answer, but one never came. A tense silence screamed into the air. "Rocky?"

CeCe sighed, and looked around the room. Everyone was packing, ready to head home. Two blonde teens, however, were watching the best friends. Tinka, she knew, because she lived for drama. Gunther, on the other hand, because he wanted to make sure CeCe was okay. She turned her attention back to Rocky.

"Rocky?" She tried again, but still was met with the silence. Shaking her head, CeCe decided to leave, knowing Rocky would get over whatever she was mad at. They would then hug, and everything would go back to normal, as usual.

CeCe left the studio quickly, not wanting Gunther to follow. But she knew he wouldn't. Tinka was with him. And when she was there, he wouldn't go near CeCe. No matter how much he liked her, CeCe knew Gunther would never tell his sister of their relationship. She would never accept it.

Knowing she needed time to think things over, the young teen decided to walk home, collect her thoughts. As she wandered through the streets of Chicago, CeCe let her mind take over.

She knew why Rocky was mad. Her best friend suspected something was being hidden from her. And she was right. CeCe hated herself for it. So, she contemplated what was one of the biggest decisions in her life.

She'll be happy I told her. _Or hate me for lying._

She'll tell me everything will be okay. _Or tell me I deserved everything that happened._

She'll hug me and never let go. _Or walk away, find a new best friend._

In that moment, the small girl knew she needed to tell Rocky everything. She was not about to let herself lose their friendship over the lies. Frankie had done enough damage.

CeCe ran home, ready to call Rocky and ask her to come over, tell her everything. But the redhead was surprised when she entered her house. A young brunette was sitting on the couch, waiting for her.

Their eyes met.

CeCe opened her mouth, then shut it. While she had decided to tell Rocky, she hadn't exactly thought of _what _to say.

"I'm sorry." The words flew out of CeCe's mouth before she could comprehend what she was saying. But she knew they were true. She was sorry.

Rocky watched her, not wanting to accept her apology. "How could you hide something like this from me, CeCe? I thought… I thought we told each other _everything. _You're my best friend. We don't keep secrets."

CeCe hung her head, trying to fight the tears. She had really hurt Rocky. "I'm really, really sorry, Rocky. I just didn't think I could tell you." Despite her trying her hardest, the water fell, drizzles in the early morning. Rocky just sighed.

"CeCe, you know you can tell me everything. I won't judge you. Ever." Despite what she had told herself, CeCe knew Rocky was right. Even when dealing with her dyslexia, her best friend never left her side. She helped her through it, and could help her through this too. "I was just so scared to tell anyone when he hit me, I —" Rocky jumped off the couch immediately.

"What do you mean he hit you? Gunther _hit_ you? Then why did you kiss him? CeCe?" Rocky started to raise her voice, and CeCe tried to calm her down.

"Gunther? No, Rocky. Frankie. Frankie hit me." She paused to wipe away a few tears, sniffling. "And how do you know about me and Gunther?" This was not how CeCe imagined the conversation going.

"I saw you guys kiss today… and I felt so hurt. But what do you mean Frankie hit you? Was he being abusive, CeCe? Is that why you left him?"

CeCe couldn't take it anymore. She started to cry. Sobs raked through her body, shaking her entire being. She was a thunderstorm.

Rocky pulled CeCe into a hug, and held her. Held her through the tears and pain.

After the crying subsided, CeCe told Rocky everything.

The fear.

The abuse.

The secret relationship.

Everything.

When the entire story was over, CeCe Jones was pulled into a hug. In that instant, she knew Rocky Blue was never leaving her side. And she wouldn't have had it any other way.

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><p>Hope you all enjoyed this! And don't worry, the whole Frankie coming back thing will come into play soon. Don't worry :)<p>

And quick question for all of you wonderful readers. Would you guys like to see Gunther tell Tinka about the relationship? I was thinking about making a whole scene out of it, and I want to know if that's something you readers want to, well, read :)

Thanks again to everyone for reading, and please review :)


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